Boot-tree.



T. G. GILBERTSON.

BOOT TREE. APPLICATION mm JAN; 10. 1917.

1,232,529 Patented July 10, 1917. v

EINKTED EAEES PATENT @FFIQE.

THOMAS GILBERT GILBERTSON, OF GLASGOW. SCOTLAND.

BOOT-TREE.

' Application filed January 10, 1917.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THoMAs GILBERT GIL- BERTSON, of 91 St. Vincent street, in the county of the city of Glasgow, Scotland, master bootmaker, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in and Connected with Boot-Trees, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in and connected with boot-trees and refers to that class in which the front and heel sections thereof have arranged between them jointed links or toggles, the movement of which operates the different sections of the tree, and the object of my invention is to simplify the construction and manipulation of such, and thereby minimize the cost of manufacture, and at the same time give greater rigidity to the parts and obtain a uniform pressure on the tree, and further to tree the heel of the shoe or boot as effec tively as the front thereof, which is very essential for retaining a good shape of the boot or shoe.

In order that my invention may be properly understood and readily carried into effect, I have hereunto appended one sheet of drawings, of which Figure l is a side view of the boottree made in accordance with and embodying my invention applied to a boot and illustrating the said tree in the expanded maximum position.

Fig. 2 is a similar View of the boot-tree also applied to the boot in the collapsed position.

Fig. 3 is a. similar view to F ig. 1 of the boot-tree embodying a modification in respect of the joint.

Fig. 3 is a front view of part of the stem or rod in order to illustrate its hinge formation.

Fig. 4 is a similar view to Fig. 2 illustrating the boot-tree collapsed, all hereafter more fully referred to and described.

Referring to the drawings, A is the forepart of the boot-tree which is solid, and A has a rear end face A which is inclined upwardly and rearwardly at an obtuse angle to the base of the forepart, while B is the heel part, the two sections A and B being connected together at their upper surface by a hinge 0, one of the plates C of the hinge covering the whole face of the upper side of the toe-piece while the other plate 0 covers the whole upper face of the heel-piece.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 18?, 191?.

Serial No. 141,640.

' A is the longitudinal slot in the face A of the slot A at D while the other end is pivotally connected to the stem or rod F by a cross-pin K which stem or rod passes up through the slot in the toe-piece A of the tree and through an opening in the hinge plate C terminating in a ring F the other joint member E having one of its ends pivoted to the heel piece B at the bottom of the angled slot H at E while the other end is also pivotally connected to the stem or rod F by the cross pin K. J are recesses formed in the inner ends of certain of the arms which greatly assist in allowing the arms to come together when withdrawing the tree.

In Fig. 1 the arm E is provided with a recess J, this'recess appearing also in Fig. 2, while in the form shown in Fig. 3 the arms D and F are provided with recesses d, but the arm E 'does not have such a recess.

When to be used, the tree, which is not in the expanded position, is placed in the boot or shoe, as in Fig. 2, and the rod or stem F pushed down by the ring F and in so doing the arms D and E become extended and thereby throw or push forward the fore or toe part A of the tree, and simultaneously therewith throw or push back the heel portion B of the tree until it assumes the position illustrated in Fig. 1.

Again when it is desired to withdraw the boot-tree, the stem or rod F is pulled in an upward direction by the ring F and in so doing the arms Dand E come together, the recess J in the arm E materially aiding this, the arm D resting or bedding itself in the slot A whereby the abutting surfaces of the sections A and B are capable of being brought together until they lie close one with the other in the collapsed state as shown in Fig. 2, thereby allowing the tree to be readily and easily removed from the boot or shoe.

In the modification illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4, the reverse action takes place, that is by pulling up or raising the stem or rod F by the ring F the arms D and E become extended and the boot is treed as shown in Fig. 3, and by pushing down the rod or stem F, the tree is released as shown in Fig. 4, and can be readily withdrawn. case the upper part of the stem F is hinged as shown so that when the tree is in the boot, the stem, is folded over or turned down, and

In this so is out of the way, as shown in dotted line, Flg. In this case there are two slots 1n the toe-piece of the tree, the rod 1* bedding in A and the arm D in slot A.

Claims:

1. A boot or shoe tree comprising in combination a toe or forepart and a heel or rear part, said forepart havinga rear end face inclined upwardly and rearwardly at an obtuse angle to the base of the forepaizt, said forepart and said real-part being hinged to gether at their upper ends, said ,forepart having a deep longitudinal slot in the rear face thereof and said rearpart having an angled slot in the forward face thereof opposite the slot in said forepart, links pivotally connected together and pivoted ,one to each of said parts, and a stem or red pivoted to said links at the point of connection between them and forming a toggle therewith, said rod lying for at least a partof its length within the slot in said forepart and the link connected to said rea-rpart extending into the angled slot thereof.

2. Aboot or shoetree comprising in combination a toe or forepart and a heel or rear part, said forepart having a rear end face inclined upwardly and rearwardly at an obtuseangle to the base of the forepart, said forepart .and said real-part being hinged together at their upper ,ends, said forepart having a deeplongitudinal slotin the rear face thereof and said real-part having :an angled slot-Yin the forward facethereof opposite the vslot .in said forepart, links pivotally connected together and pivoted one ;to each of said parts to form a toggle, and a stem or rod pivoted to said links at their common pivot, said rod lying for at least a part of its length within the slot in said forepart and the link connected to said rearpart extending into the angled slot thereof, certain of the parts forming said toggle and rod being cut away near the central pivot of the toggle to facilitate the folding of the tree.

3. A boot or shoe tree comprising in combination a toe or forepart and a heelvor rearpart, said forepart hayinga rear end face inclined upwardly and rearwardly at an ol tuse a1 1gle .;to ,thefbase of the forepart, said f rep,art and said rearpart being hinged together at their upper ends, vsaid ,forepart having a deep longitudinal slot in therear face thereof and .said rear-part having .an angled slot in the forward facethereof opposite-theslot in said forepart, links pivot ally connected together and pivoted one to each of said parts to form a toggle, and a stem or rod pivotedto said links atvtheir common pivot, said rod glying for at least a part of its length within the slot in said forepart and the link connected ;to said rearpart extendinginto the ,angled slot "thereof, certain of the parts forming said toggle and rod being cut away nearthe central pivot of the toggle to facilitate the folding of the tree, the upper part of said stem or rod being formedlin two sections joined together whereby the portion of the rod at the top thereof may be folded over.

In witness whereof I afiix my signature.

1 THOMAS GILBERT ,GILBERTSQN.

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7 Washington. DPGJ 

